Immigration Costs for Businesses.

Immigration Costs

Every application is unique and there are many factors that influence whether an application is accepted or refused by the Home Office. Our costs are payable irrespective of the outcome of your application. The information below provides an indication of the range of our fixed costs for handling business related immigration applications.

We have particular expertise in sponsor licensing and skilled worker visa applications.

After an initial no obligation and free of charge discussion with you about your requirements we will confirm the options available to your business and our fixed fees based on those requirements. Our costs are invoiced when the application is submitted. VAT at 20% is payable on all fees.

The fees detailed below exclude any disbursements related to your applications. The possible disbursements are set out in the Disbursements section of this Policy.

Type of application/instruction	Fee for main applicant	Range of fees
Sponsor licence application	Review of corporate structure Identification of documents and information required Preparation of draft application and supporting documents Submission of application Advice on sponsor duties and obligations	£2,000 to £6,000 + VAT at 20%
Mock audit/preparation for Home Office visit	Review of internal procedures for recording, monitoring and reporting on sponsored employees Understanding of sponsoring employer’s duties and obligations Provision of audit report	£3,000 + VAT at 20%
Type of application	Fee for main applicant	Fee per dependant application
Skilled worker entry clearance, extensions or switching	£2,000 + VAT	£750 + VAT at 20%
Indefinite leave to remain	£2,500 + VAT	£1,000 + VAT at 20%
Visitor visas (standard visit visa, permitted paid engagements)	£1,000 + VAT	£500 + VAT at 20%
Global Business Mobility routes (graduate trainee, senior or specialist worker, service supplier, UK expansion worker, secondment worker)	£1,500 + VAT	£750 + VAT at 20%

Summary of our services

The required steps will vary depending on the nature of your application. The procedural steps applicable to the majority of applications are as follows:

• Taking your detailed instructions
• Assessing the potential routes available
• Checking that the role is capable of sponsorship and that the requirements of the immigration rules and points requirements can be met
• Providing a comprehensive list of the information and supporting documents required
• Reviewing all papers and identifying any gaps or further information required
• Liaison with the individual applicant to verify information
• Advising on the preparation and assignment of the Certificate of Sponsorship (if required)
• Preparing the draft application for approval together with a detailed covering letter and collation of all supporting documents
• Submission of the application and uploading all supporting documents
• Arranging biometrics appointment
• Advice following receipt of the Home Office decision

Disbursements

Your application will require the payment of the Home Office fees.

Sponsor licensing fees vary depending on whether your business is a small employer or a large employer and whether you are looking to apply to add a new route to an existing sponsor licence. We will advise you of the Home Office fee for your specific application.

Visa application fees vary depending on whether the applicant is applying from within the UK or outside, the length of the visa and whether dependant applications are also being made. The Home Office fees are updated from time to time and the latest fees can be found here.

The following additional costs may be incurred, some of which will be paid directly to the third party supplying the service, and others we will pay on your behalf subject to you paying our invoice for these costs immediately on receipt of our invoice, plus VAT at 20% where applicable:

• Sponsor licence Home Office application fee
• Certificate of Sponsorship fee
• Immigration Skills Charge (if applicable)
• Immigration Health Surcharge
• Approved English Language Certificate fees or other acceptable evidence of English language competence
• Criminal records certificate
• Tuberculosis certificate
• Translation fees
• Courier/postage fees

We will advise you at the outset of your instruction of the likely disbursements.

Timescales

Most applications can be submitted to the Home Office within four weeks of you supplying the required information and documentation that we request from you.

The Home Office processing times for different applications vary and in some instances can be expedited by the payment of an additional priority processing fee.

Sponsor licence applications can take up to eight weeks to be processed although in our experience a robust application will usually be granted within four weeks.

We will advise you of the likely timescale for the Home Office processing of any visa applications in our initial discussions with you. However, unless your business opts to utilise any available priority service, once an application has been submitted there is little that can be done to speed up the process.

Factors which may delay the processing of individual visa applications are:

• Concerns about the genuineness of the role being recruited into
• Criminal convictions
• An adverse or complex past immigration history including previous refused applications; periods of overstaying in respect of previous visa permissions or other breaches of the UK’s immigration rules
• Any change in the applicant’s circumstances during the application process
• Failure to disclose relevant information
• Dishonesty or matters impacting the applicant’s good character.